Loose-leaf binder



s. E. DAY. LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-30. I917.

Puma Nov. 29, 1921.

HTED STATES SOHUYLER E. DAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

2" 0 all w 710m it may concern Y Be it known that I, SOHUYLER E. DAY, acitizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLoose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to binding devices, and is more particularlyapplicable to loose leaf binders.

In a common form of loose leaf binder, a binding element is provided,comprising a ring or similar device adapted to hold the loose leaves,the ring being divided into sections or hooks, and in this manner beingadapted to be opened or closed, to permit the placing on or removal fromthe ring of the loose leaves. I a

The ring is so arranged in the binding frame that its point of openingor closing is permanently located in the middle of the device. This, isa serious defect, because, of the group'of bound leaves those at'thesides cannot be removed as easily and conveniently as the others noroften times without causing others of the leaves to slip from thebinding hooks; also, the capacity of the hooks is unduly limited.

Gbjects of the invention, therefore, are to provide a loose leaf binderin which leaves at the sides of the group of bound leaves may beinstalled, or from which they may be removed, as easily and convenientlyand without disturbing the other leaves of the group, as those leaves,for example, in the middle of the group; whose capacity isgreatlyincreased; and to provide a device of the character referred to whichshall be simple and easily manipulated, and which shall be economical inconstruction and operation. These and other objects of the inventionwill, in part, be obvious and, in part, be made clear from the followingdescription. The invention consists in the novel parts, improvements,combinations and features of construction, herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and made parthereof, is illustrated one embodiment of the invention, the same servingin connection with the description herein to explain the principles ofthe invention. I

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a to plan, partly in perspec- Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented N 29, 1921, Application filed August 30,1917. serial No. 188,907.

accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in per.- spective, of thebinder,showing thering or binding element in position upon its support, and theslotted wall in which the support has its reciprocatory movement;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical central section, partly in elevation, ofa portion of the construction shown in Fig. 2, taken on the line 3-3 andlooking in the direction of the arrows; V

Fig.4 is a vertical central section ,ofa ring, partly in perspective,certain other details also being shown, and different positions of thering being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a crosssection of thebinder showing a binding element in anopen posi; tion; and 1 Fig.-6 is a similar view, showing'the bindingelement in an open position and shifted laterally to a positionconvenient for manipulating leaves atv aside of the group. i Y A looseleaf binder, constructed in accord ance with one feature of theinvention includes a binding element, arranged to be moved to differentoperative positions. In one'embodiment of this feature of the invention,said binding element comprises sections of a ring or similarconstruction adaptedto be joined to form a complete ring or device andto be opened and closed at will. A loose leaf binder, constructed inaccord ance with another feature .of the invention, includes incombination, a plurality of said binding elements, supporting means forsaid elements, and means connecting said elements, whereby they may bemoved to difierent operative positions in unison. These and otherfeatures of the invention will be more fully set forth in thefollowingadescription.

eferring now to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention, the same comprising, as shown, a usual backplate 10, to which the customary covers, not shown, maybe fastened inany suitable manner. J

Means are provided for holding the loose leaves, and while these meansmay be of any desired configuration and proportions, preferably and asshown, a binding element is employed, consisting, of a ring, divided, as

' tive, ofa loose leaf bindericonstructed in i customary, into halves orring hooks, 11, 12, which are connected at their lower portions in amanner presently to be described, and which permits of their having anopening and closing movement. Said, hooks are adapted by means of asuitable tongue 13 and groove 14 to have a locking engagement at theirupper portions.

Means are provided for connecting the hook rings 11 and 12, and foropening and closing them, as desired. In the preferred embodiment of theinvention, illustrated, said means comprise a spring having a centralcoil 16, to which further reference will be made, and arms 17 and 18,connected to the respective hooks. While, so far as certain otherfeatures of the invention are concerned, said spring arms may beattached to said hook rings in any suitable manner, preferably and asshown, said hooks are made tubular in form, and the spring arms areforced, each into its respective hook, a dis tance sufiicient to insuretheir operative engagement with said hooks at all times. It will be seenthat with these connecting means the ring hooks will normally be kept inclosed position but with the application of suitable and convenientforce may be pulled open, so as to permit the installation or removal ofsheets.

Means are provided for mounting in the binder the binding elements, andfor this purpose and in the preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the drawings, a support or rod 19 is provided upon whichthe spring 16 is mounted, preferably not rigidly fastened thereto butfreely revoluble thereupon. Said rod 19 is suitably sup ported in thebinding frame, and is normally located midway of the back plate 10 fromwhich it is spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit of a revolublemovement of the coil upon the rod. Also, to permit the ring to be openedor the sections spaced apart at their upper portions the requireddistance, the under sides of the lower portions of the hooks or sectionsare cut away a suitable distance.

Normally, the ring hooks are so disposed that the opening and closingpoint of the complete ring, which the cooperating hooks form, may be ina vertical plane, midway of the plate 10. This location of the openingand closing point or normal operative position of the binding elementwill be convenient for installing sheets in ormoving them from themiddle of the group of sheets or leaves which are'to be held in thebinder; and when the number of said leaves is limited, said location ofthe opening and closing point will permit of the manipulating of sheetsor leaves at the sides of said group. In any construction of the art, hovever, when the number of leaves has beenincreased beyond a certainlimit, the leaves subject to severe usage.

at the sides of the group cannot be installed or removed withoutdifficulty and often without disturbing the other leaves in the group,with the result that the device is rendered inconvenient to handle, itscapacity is unduly limited, and the leaves are It will be noted,however, that in the construction of the present invention, thus fardescribed, this difficulty is obviated because the binding elementcomposed of the ring hooks 11, 12, connected by the springwith its arms17 and 18, can be revolved upon the supporting rod 19, and thus theopening and'closing point of the ring be shifted laterally with respectto its normal vertical position. In other words, the binding elementmaybe moved to different operative positions. l/Vhen in ashiftedposition, the binding element can be opened and closed and theleaves added or withdrawn with the same ease and convenience ofoperation as when the opening and closing point is in its normalvertical position.

Said revoluble movement, however, is limited by the nature of theconstruction illustrated and thus far described, and therefore, toincrease the distance which said opening and closing point may beshifted from its normal position, and in accordance with another featureof the invention, means are provided for shifting laterally the rod 19in its support. Preferably and as shown, said support is fashioned as anupstanding wall 21 formed with a slot 22 therein extending a suitabledistance from side to side, and, as shown, being in form slightly curveddownwardly, following an are that facilitates the rotation andreciprocation of said binding element.

It will be obvious that by rotating or reciprocating the binding elementwith its supporting rod in this slottedrecess, the opening and closingpoint of the binding element may be shifted at will to any desiredposition within the limits of rotation or reciprocation of the bindingelement, and further that these limits will be generous enough tosatisfy the demands of practice. If desired, moreover, the revolubilitycan be still further increased by cuttiin away a portion of an edge orthe edges or said back plate 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to a suitableextent.

Preferably, a plurality of walls 21 is provided, as shown, one beingfurnished at each of the longitudinal ends of the back plate 10, and therod 19 is mounted in both of said slots. Suitable members a reprovidedfor preventing endwise slipping of the rod 19, the same as shown,consisting of knobs 24, which also'serve another functtion, beingconvenient to use in moving said rod 19. l

While the binding elementmay be placed 130 these two being convenientlyspaced apart.

It will be noted, however, that in order to work to the best advantage,the binding elements, whether two .or more, should be capable of actingin unison, so that the opening and closing points of said elements maybe shifted simultaneously, as desired,

with relation to the axes of rotation or revolution of the bindingelements.

Means are provided, therefore, for connecting said binding elements, sothat they may be moved in unison, and the hooks of the respective ringsopened or closedsimuh,

taneousl whether in their normal dosi tion or 1n an assumed osition. Inthe preferred embodlment of the invention and as shown in the drawings,said means comprise a pair of plates 26, each plate connectmg allthehooks of the respective binding elements on its side of the common,

longitudinal axis of the said elements. The plates may be connected tothe hooks in any suitable way, but preferably and as shown, each plateengages each hook on its side of said axis by being fitted into a recessformed in the lower portion ofthe hook and ex tending transverselythereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of theidrawings.

The plates also serve as locking means for the springs. It will be notedthat these lates fit snu l into their respective recesses b J. I

and that, when the plates are in horizontal alinement, their inner facesmeet. Furthermore, when and a they are moved into positions above orbelow horizontal, the plates will rock on the upper or lower edges oftheir said inner faces, and assume a locking engagement against theforce of the spring. This engagement, when the plates have assumed acertain position above horizontal, as when the rings are opened, willserve to lock the plates and hold the same in such locked positionagainst the force of the spring, but the rings can then be closed by theapplication of superior force, the strength of the material andarrangement of the parts being regulated so as to require only theexercise of a convenient degree of force. As shown, also, the parts areso an ranged that, when a ring is in normal closed position, see Fig. 4,the plates 26 will have their inner edges depressed below horizontal,thus relieving the force of the spring in keeping the ring closed, andso avoiding the chance of accidental opening of the ring when in use.

Means are provided for maintaining at all times the mutual relativepositions of the plates 26, said means, preferably and as shown,consisting of fingers 32, 33, pro jecting in pairs from the inner edgesof the respective plates, and engaging the under surfaces of theopposite plates. Their operation will be obvious The invention in itsbroader aspects is not hmited to. the precise constructions shown anddescribed, nor to any particular construction by which the same may becarried into effect, as many changes may be made in the details thereofwithout departing from the main principles of the invention orsacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim: f

1. In a. loose leafbinder, a binding ele ment comprising arms havingelastic connections, and means upon which said elastic connections arerevolubly arranged, where by said element may be moved to differentoperative positions. I

ment comprising arms havingelastic connections and adapted to be openedand closed, and means upon which-said elastic connections are revolublyarranged, whereby said element may be moved to different hooks.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a plurality of bindingelements, each element comprising a pair of hooks having elasticconnections and being adapted to be opened and closed, means upon whichsaid elements are revolubly arranged, and means connecting saidelements, whereby said elements may be moved inunison to differentoperative positions. 7

5. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a plurality of bindingelements, each ele ment comprising a pair of hooks having elasticconnections and being adapted to be opened and closed, and meansconnecting said elements, whereby said elements be operated in unison. VI

6. In aloose leaf binder, the combination of a plurality of bindingelements, each element comprising a pair of hooks having elasticconnections and being adapted to be opened and closed, means upon whichsaid elements are revolubly arranged, and means connecting saidelements, whereby they may be operated and moved in unison to differentoperative positions.

7. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a binding element providedwith arms .90: 2. In a looseleaf binder, abinding ele-f having elasticconnections and ,bein adapted to be opened and closed, means upon whichsaid connections are mounted, and-a frame in which said last-named meansis slidably arranged.

8. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a plurality of bindingelements provider each with arms having elastic connections adapted tobe opened and closed, means upon which said elements are revolublymounted, and a frame in which said last-named means is slidablyarranged,

9.. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a plurality of bindingelements provided each with arms having elastic connections adapted tobe opened and closed, means upon which said elements are revolublymounted, means connecting said elements so that they may be operated inunison, and a frame in which the means upon which the elements aremounted is slidably arranged.

10. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofbinding elements provided with arms having elastic connections andadapted to-be opened and closed, and a support for the binding elementsreciprocably mounted in said frame.

11. In a loose leaf binder, a binding element comprising arms havingelastic connections consisting of a coiled spring, and a rod upon whichsaid spring is revolubly mounted.

12. In a loose leaf binder, a binding element including arms havingelastic connections comprising a centrally disposed coiled spring, a rodupon which said coiled spring is arranged, and a slotted member in whichsaid rod is slidably mounted.

13. In a loose leaf binder, a binding element composed of a central coiland oppositely extended elastic arms, and rigid members in which saidarms are respectively an ranged, a slotted frame, a rod arranged to bereciprocated in said frame, and said element being mounted upon saidrod.

' 1 In a loose leaf binder, a plurality of binding elements providedeach with arms having elastic connections and adapted to be opened andclosed, means upon which said elastic connections are revolublyarranged, and means connecting said elements whereby they may berevolved in unison.

15. In a loose leaf binder, a plurality of binding elements providedeach'with arms having elastic connections and adapted to be opened andclosed, a slotted frame, means mounted in said frame and upon which saidelastic connections are revolubly arranged,

and means connecting said elements whereby they may be revolved inunison, and whereby said elements may be reciprocated in unison in saidslotted frame.

16. In a loose leaf binder, a binding element comprising in combination,a pair of ring hooks adapted to hold loose leaves, a spring memberconnecting said hooks and tending normally to keep said hooks in closedposition, and means operating to keepsaid hooks in open position whensaid hooks have been opened to a certain predetermined degree. I

17. In a loose leaf binder, a binding element comprising in combinationa pair of tubular ring hooks adapted to hold .loose leaves, and a springmember having a central portion arranged about a support and armsextending into the respective hooks a distance sufficient normally tokeep said hooks in closed position and to maintain their operativeposition in said hooks when the latter are in open position.

18. A loose leaf binder including in combination, a support, a. pair ofring hooks, adapted to hold loose leaves, a spring member mounted uponsaid support and connecting said hooks and tending normally to keep saidhooks in closed position, and means operating to keep saidhooks in openposition when said hooks have been opened to a certain predetermineddegree.

19. A loose leaf binder including in combination, a frame, a supportmounted in a slot in said frame and arranged to have a re ciprocatingmovement therein, a pair of ring hooks adapted to hold loose leaves, aspring member mounted upon said support and connecting said hooks andtending normally to keep said hooks in closed position, and

' means operating to keep said hooks in open position when said hookshave been opened toa certain predetermined degree. 4

20. A loose leaf binder, including a frame having walls with slotsformed therein, a rod slidably mounted in said slotted walls, aplurality of binding elements each mounted upon said rod and adaptedtorevolve with the axis of the rod as the axis of revolution, and beingadapted to be opened and closed, and a pair of plates arranged inrecesses in and connecting said elements, whereby said elements may bemoved in unison, and the opening and closing points of the respectiveelements shifted in unison.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

SOHUYLER E. DAY.

